Guerilla Army Issues Communique

Date: January 1947Source:Bulletin of the American Council for a Democratic Greece, Volume IV, No. 1 Author: Unknown (unsigned)Transcribed/HTML: Mike B. for MIA, 2006Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2006). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.

On November 20, the Democratic
Army of Northern Greece issued Comminunique No. 1, and copies were sent to
all foreign correspondents in Athens as
well as Athens newspapers. The government immediately forbade the publication of this document; nevertheless,
it was published in two—Rizospastis
(Communist) and Eleftheria (Republican Centre). Copies of both papers
were seized. The following day, the
Minister of Justice introduced a bill in
Parliament which would impose prison
sentences upon editors and permit confiscation of newspapers upon the publication of "attacks on the present regime"
and reports of movements of land, sea
and air forces and other military information. This bill became law on
November 25th.

Text of Communique No. 1

"The Headquarters of the Democratic
Army in Northern Greece, in the name
of all persecuted Republican combatants
who constitute this army, rejects with
disgust the shameful slander that the
Democratic Army has relations with or
is supplied by foreigners.

"The main source of arms and supplies
are the monarchist bands which are
armed by the British, the stores of the
army and gendarmerie and prisoners
from these forces.

"The Democratic Army has arisen as
a result of the new occupation and the
persecution to which the people are subjected by the new fascist regime, established in Greece by the British occupation.

"We were forced to take to the mountains by the violation by the British of
the Varkiza Agreement and by the
policy of extermination and persecution
operated against us.

"The Democratic Army categorically
rejects once and for all the slander that
its activities are directed against the
integrity of Greece. We consider the
soil of the Fatherland and its frontiers
as sacred and inviolable and we oppose
any idea of violence against or conquest
of them.

"We struggle for the life and honor
of the people and for the freedom.
democracy and independence of Greece.
The Democratic Army categorically rejects the base slander that it burns down
villages and slays women and children.
We fight as our forefathers fought for
freedom—and as ELAS fought for
Greece. The crimes against innocent
women and children and the burning
down of villages are committed by our
enemies. It is against them that we
struggle and we punish only traitors.
We are the children of the people."